Penguins/NHL
Penguins reach agreement with Brandon Tanev
The Pittsburgh Penguins [hide] have agreed to a six year, $21 million contract with winger Brandon Tanev.
An AAV of $3.5 million over the next six years will certainly change the mood of this signing.
Tanev, 27, had a breakout year with 14 goals, 15 assists with the Jets, to go along with 278 hits and 81 blocked shots. Tanev excels at being a tireless worker and should play a factor in improving the Penguins bottom-6 in being harder to play against without the puck.
Tanev, though, is the type of player where you have to be careful with when it comes to giving out this type of contract. You can always find players like Tanev on the cheap.
The concern is with the contract is how much offense are you really going to get. Tanev has never topped 30 points in his career, doesn’t drive possession and scouts question his defensive prowess away from Adam Lowry. Hard work is what got Tanev to having the breakout year he had and Tanev’s going to be useful, but for players like Tanev who have to work some hard for points, this type of contract is a major gamble from Pittsburgh’s end. [/hide]
